Grumman Intruder
Sandbox Redux

USN/USMC A-6E Intruders
in Libya & Desert Storm

AOA Decals, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by David Couche

Before we look at the actual decal set, many of you may not be familiar with Operation Prairie Fire or El Dorado Canyon. A quick explanation follows.

Operation Prairie:

In the Action in the Gulf of Sidra, codenamed Operation Prairie Fire, the United States Navy deployed aircraft carrier groups in the disputed Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea. Libya had claimed that the entire Gulf was their territory, at 32° 30' N, with an exclusive 62 nautical miles (115 km; 71 mi) fishing zone. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi asserted this in 1973 and dubbed it "The Line of Death". The United States claimed its rights to conduct Freedom of Navigation (FON) naval operations in international waters, a standard of 12-nautical-mile (22 km; 14 mi) territorial limit from a country's shore. This engagement followed the 1981 Gulf of Sidra incident and preceded another in 1989.

During the operations held in January and February 1986, the United States Navy made 130 intercepts of Libyan fighters in the airspace over the Gulf of Sidra, although neither side opened fire.

Operation El Dorado Canyon:

When terrorists bombed the La Belle Discotheque in West Berlin on April 5, killing one U.S. soldier and wounding more than 200 people. The United States claimed "exact, precise, and irrefutable" evidence of Libyan involvement and launched Operation EL DORADO CANYON.

Operation EL DORADO CANYON was a long-range strike at "terrorist centres" in Libya developed by planners at the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) in England. The operation started on April 14, 1986, when 24 U.S. Air Force F-111s departed Royal Air Force (RAF) Base Lakenheath along with five EF-111s from RAF Heyford. The F-111s faced a 3,500 mile (5600 km} flight with four aerial refueling each way due to flight restrictions. As the aircraft approached Libya, two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, the USS Coral Sea and the USS America, launched 14 A-6E strike aircraft and 12 F/A-18 and A-7 strike support aircraft.

At 6:54 pm eastern standard time, the EF-111 aircraft commenced electronic countermeasures against Libyan air defenses, while the Navy support aircraft provided surface to air missile (SAM) suppression. At 7:00 pm, the attacking Navy aircraft struck Benina Airfield and the Benghazi military barracks, while 13 Air Force F-111s struck the Aziziyah barracks in Tripoli and the Sidi Bilal terrorist training camp. The final strike of the mission was conducted by five Air Force F-111s, which attacked the Tripoli military airport. Unfortunately, only four of the F-111s successfully dropped their bombs. Seven others missed their targets, while six encountered mechanical problems or did not drop because of stringent rules of engagement.

After leaving the target area, there were reports that one F-111 had been shot down. By 7:53 pm, all Navy aircraft had returned to their carriers. When the F-111s linked up with the tankers for their first return aerial refuelling, they confirmed that one F-111 had been lost. Enroute back to England, one F-111 diverted to Rota, Spain, because of an overheated engine. Search and rescue efforts for the missing F-111 lasted throughout April 15, but were terminated that evening with negative results. Both pilots were later confirmed killed.

Desert Storm:

In August 1990 VA-35 deployed once more for what promised to be a relatively easy summer Med cruise. Operation Desert Shield/Storm put an end to that idea quickly. The men of VA-35 would set many Navy firsts before their eight-month combat cruise ended. Flying from the deck of USS SARATOGA (CV 60), the squadron was the first Navy squadron to drop bombs on Iraqi targets, the first to use Night Vision Devices in combat (over 300 combat hours with NVDs), and the first fleet squadron to drop high altitude Rockeyes, Gators, and DSTs (destructors) on Iraqi targets. Additionally, the Black Panthers flew nearly 400 strike sorties (all over 5 hours duration) and expended over 1.7 million pounds of ordnance.

Grumman Intruder Sandbox Redux

This 1/48 sheet updates and supersedes 48-007 and covers all three Intruder squadrons (now including specific aircraft) involved in the strikes against Libya in March and April 1986 as part of Operation Prairie Fire and Operation El Dorado Canyon respectively; also covered are two squadrons from 1991 in Operation Desert Storm.

The set comes in a thick zip locked bag, which protects the decals from damage. Airframe stencils in correct colours are provided for each aircraft in the set. Full data stencils will need to come from the kits or other aftermarket sets. Decals are also included for crew helmets, fuel tanks, tailhooks, formation lights, ejection seats, VA-35 MERs, CBU-59 APAM markings ("lightning bolts"), & VA-55 bomb "graffiti" markings. This is a great addition from AOA to improve the accuracy and options for the model builder.

The decal sheet is printed by industry leader, Cartograf of Italy, which ensures top printing quality and ease of application. The instructions on 3, double sided glossy heavy paper sheets are printed in colour with helpful annotated notes where needed. Of those 6 pages, 3 are dedicated to the application of aircraft stencils, load out options for each aircraft on those missions and useful notes and 2 pages of the various markings for the aircraft. The decals are printed in perfect register with great definition and strong colour by Cartograf, and we know they will go on perfectly and settle down exquisitely.

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Thumbnail panels:

The aircraft in this set are:

Operations Prairie Fire & El Dorado Canyon

• A-6E, 155602/AB-502, VA-34 Blue Blasters, USS America, Operation El Dorado Canyon, 1986
• A-6E, 161677/AB-513, VA-34 Blue Blasters, USS America, Operation El Dorado Canyon, 1986
• A-6E, 161676/AK-503, VA-55 Warhorses, USS Coral Sea, Operations Prairie Fire & El Dorado Canyon, 1986
• A-6E, 152642/AK-507, VA-55 Warhorses, USS Coral Sea, Operation El Dorado Canyon, 1986
• A-6E, 161685/AA-501, VA-85 Black Falcons, USS Saratoga, Operation Prairie Fire, 1986

Operation Desert Storm

• A-6E, 155661/AA-501, VA-35 Black Panthers - USS Saratoga, Operation Desert Storm, 1991

• A-6E, 152953/AA-505, VA-35 Black Panthers - USS Saratoga, Operation Desert Storm, 1991

• A-6E, 161689/ED-403, VMA(AW)-533 Hawks – Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain, Operation Desert Storm, 1991

• A-6E, 154158/ED-410, VMA(AW)-533 Hawks – Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain, Operation Desert Storm, 1991

* Please note that all aircraft for this set are A-6E TRAM versions.

This is a nice large set of decals from AOA Decals covering 9 different airframes different operations in the Mediterranean Sea/North Africa and the Middle East. With only one A-6E TRAM available in 1/48, and that being the Hobby Boss kit, I am sure they are sized correctly and will be most suitable.

These AOA decals are highly recommended.

Thanks to AOA Decals for the review sample

AOA Decals are available online via their website

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2025 by David Couche
Page Created 27 February, 2025
Last Updated 27 February, 2025

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